Betoverende ontsnapping uit het regenwoud: 4-daagse huwelijksreis vanuit Quito

The 3 stars are a tribute to the amazing staff at the lodge, who were so pleasant and helpful. The managers were less so... The lodge is hard to get to. We read on the hotel's website that, after flying into Coca, we would be transferred to Napo's office in Coca and from there, we would board a motorized boat for 2 hrs. Then, we would switch to a paddle boat for another 2 hrs to reach the lodge. However, when we arrived at Napo's Coca office, we were told that there would be no paddle boat because the water level in the creeks was too low, so we would have to walk for 1.5 hrs through the jungle after the 2 hr boat ride. We were not equipped for this walk and it was about 32 degrees and humid. However, we were not given an option so we had to grab our suitcases and extract appropriate clothing and hiking shoes for the walk. What angered us was the absolute lack of information prior to this announcement in Coca. They should have told us ahead of time - at the very least, we would have made sure we were prepared. However, the guides told us that the water levels had been a issue since August and so this was something management knew about but elected not to communicate. People who arrived the day after us had the same experience. Because the flight from Coca back to Quito is at 9 am, we would have had to wake up at around 3 am to get there in time. So we left the day before we were scheduled to leave and stayed overnight in a hotel in Coca ( at our own expense) rather than do the 4 hour trek to Coca in the middle of the night. That trip to Coca in the night could be done during the day. I don't know why it isn't or why people are not given the option. Other things to know about the lodge, which did not make our stay a positive one: - there is no air conditioning (and it was extremely hot!). We missed this when we were researching - so it was our fault that we didn't check beforehand. The fan in the room was useless. It was cooler outside the room than inside. - the water in the shower was boiling hot and couldn't be adjusted. So we would come in hot and sweaty from an outing, have a boiling hot shower in a room without air conditioning. - the tile in the shower is extremely slippery - dangerously so - the food was plentiful but mediocre - the day starts at 4.30 with breakfast at 5 am and then an outing - but we saw very little wild life, even at that early hour While our stay had many problems, the guides were excellent and we appreciated the staff's efforts.